Virgil van Dijk and Neymar react as Kevin De Bruyne waves goodbye to Man City
Virgil van Dijk and Neymar both showed their support as Kevin De Bruyne took to social media with a new message for the Man City faithful.
Man City fans have feared De Bruyne’s exit for quite a while now, especially with no new updates surrounding the Belgian’s contract situation at the Etihad Stadium.
The 33-year-old has dedicated a decade of his life to representing the Citizens, not just in the Premier League, but on the European stage, and helping the club to its first-ever Champions League title.
With 106 goals and 174 assists in 413 appearances across the last 10 years, only Mohamed Salah’s time at Liverpool comes close to matching his legendary status in the Premier League.
However, having started just 12 league matches so far this season, De Bruyne has called time on his career in Manchester, causing plenty of upset for the fans who first saw him arrive from Wolfsburg in 2015.
Kevin De Bruyne hangs up the boots on Man City career
Taking to Instagram [4 April], De Bruyne announced his decision to leave Man City at the end of the season, writing a message to the supporters about his decade-long stay with the Citizens.
In a letter titled “Dear Manchester,” the Belgian tugged on the heartstrings of everyone at the Etihad Stadium, with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Santos’ Neymar liking the post.
Man City prepare for summer of change after De Bruyne’s emotional farewell
Football Insider verdict
De Bruyne’s exit is likely to be just the first of multiple ahead of the summer transfer window, with Bernardo Silva tipped to be next to leave Man City, and Jack Grealish, John Stones and Ederson all linked.
While there will be plenty of time for goodbyes at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola needs his players firing on all cylinders for the final few matches of the campaign, in the league and in the FA Cup.
Champions League qualification is no guarantee this season, with the Citizens experiencing the campaign from hell after being knocked out of the EFL Cup and Champions League at early stages.
| Man City’s remaining 8 Premier League fixtures |
| Man United (A) |
| Crystal Palace (H) |
| Everton (A) |
| Aston Villa (H) |
| Wolves (H) |
| Southampton (A) |
| Bournemouth (H) |
| Fulham (A) |
Having played the full 90 minutes against Bournemouth in the FA Cup, it looks as though Guardiola will have De Bruyne at his disposal for his final few weeks in Manchester, and it is desperately needed.
Man City are now with Erling Haaland for the next few games, and with Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku struggling to create in the final third, the Belgian’s return to full fitness could be imperative.